How to Calculate Rental Yield in Pattaya: The Formula

In short: You calculate the gross rental yield in Pattaya with a simple formula: annual net rent divided by the purchase price, times 100. Example: a one-bedroom apartment for €150,000 generating €9,000 in annual rent achieves a gross rental yield of 6.0%. For well-chosen new-build condos in Pattaya, the realistic range is around 5 to 8% p.a. (gross). Below you will find the formula, a step-by-step worked example with real figures, and the path to an honest net yield.

The Formula: Calculating Rental Yield in Pattaya

Anyone buying a condo in Pattaya as an investment wants one figure: how much does the apartment return relative to the capital invested? That metric is the rental yield. It makes properties comparable – whether you are looking at a compact studio unit in Jomtien or a two-bedroom apartment with sea views in Wongamat. The basis is always the same, wonderfully simple formula:

Gross rental yield (%) = (annual net rent ÷ purchase price) × 100

The gross rental yield is your first point of reference. It deliberately ignores all running costs and shows the raw ratio of rental income to purchase price. That is precisely why it is so well suited to checking, in just a few seconds, whether an offer even falls into the interesting range. Only after that does it pay to take a closer look at the net yield, which we derive further below.

The three figures you need

• Purchase price: the total price of the apartment in euros (or THB). Conversion in 2026 at around 38 to 39 THB per euro.
• Monthly rent (net): the achievable net rent, i.e. excluding electricity, water and internet, which the tenant pays separately.
• Annual net rent: monthly rent × 12 (for year-round letting). For seasonal letting, calculate with the months actually let.

Step by Step: A Worked Example with Real Figures

Theory is good, a concrete calculation is better. Let us take a realistic one-bedroom apartment, of the kind typical in our new-build projects in Jomtien – for instance in the Aquarous Jomtien. Assumptions: 35 m², purchase price €150,000, well furnished, close to the beach.

Step 1 – Set the monthly rent

For a modern, furnished one-bedroom apartment in a good Jomtien location, the achievable rent in 2026 is around 25,000 to 30,000 THB per month. We calculate conservatively with 28,000 THB (about €730).

Step 2 – Work out the annual net rent

28,000 THB × 12 months = 336,000 THB per year (about €8,800). This assumes continuous letting – how we handle vacancy is something we clarify with the net yield.

Step 3 – Plug it into the formula

Now just divide and multiply by 100:

336,000 THB ÷ 5,850,000 THB × 100 = 5.7%

(€150,000 equates to around 5,850,000 THB at 39 THB/€.) The result: a gross rental yield of about 5.7% – right within the realistic corridor I cite for well-chosen new-build condos in Pattaya. Anyone who lands a unit with a somewhat lower entry price or stronger rental demand quickly reaches 6 to 7%.

Second example: lower entry price, higher yield

Rental yield is sensitive to the purchase price. A second example shows this with a compact unit, of the kind found for instance in the Zenith Pattaya 2 with entry prices from around 100,000 THB/m². Assumptions: 30 m², purchase price €120,000, monthly rent 24,000 THB.

The lower entry price lifts the gross yield from 5.7 to 6.2%. That is no coincidence but the very heart of the rental yield calculation: with similar rental demand, it is the purchase price per square metre that decides. This is exactly where one of the advantages I secure for my buyers lies – finding the right entry price in the right project.

From gross to net: the honest yield

The gross rental yield is the quick filter. For the real decision, what counts is the net rental yield, because it deducts the running costs. In Pattaya these are manageable, clearly calculable items. The formula:

Net rental yield (%) = ((annual net rent − running costs) ÷ purchase price) × 100

Which costs belong in it? For a condo in Pattaya, typically:

Let us work through the first example (Aquarous, €150,000, 336,000 THB annual rent) honestly. At around 28 to 35% total cost ratio – maintenance charge, management, upkeep and one vacant month – roughly 220,000 to 240,000 THB net remains. This results in a net rental yield of around 3.8 to 4.1%. That is consistent with market observations from Thailand's resort markets in 2026, where net yields mostly land in the 4 to 6% range.

An important note for context: even net, the yield remains considerably more attractive than what fixed-term deposits or comparable investments return in the German-speaking region. And anyone who keeps costs under control – for instance with a low-maintenance new-build condo and efficient management – pushes the net yield up noticeably. I explain the running items in detail in the article on the running costs, Common Area Fee and Sinking Fund.

These five mistakes distort your rental yield calculation

• Mixing gross yield with capital appreciation: the off-plan price advantage – in an early construction phase sometimes up to 40% cheaper than at completion – is capital appreciation, not rental yield. The two are separate figures. More on this in the article Buying off-plan in Pattaya.
• Calculating with the gross figure and forgetting costs: 6% gross is not 6% net. Anyone who looks only at the gross figure plans too optimistically.
• Assuming full occupancy: a realistic vacancy buffer of one to two months belongs in every sound calculation.
• Reading portal prices as transactions: listed rents and purchase prices are offers, not achieved values. They serve as rough orientation, not as a fixed point.
• Ignoring seasonality: high season and low season differ markedly in Pattaya. An annual rent smooths this out; for short-term letting you have to calculate more precisely.

For a deeper view of which yield figures in Pattaya are credible, see the article Rental yield realistically explained. And for what a condo really costs in the end, read What a condo really costs.

What moves rental yield in Pattaya up or down

Location and district

Central Pattaya and beach-near locations achieve the highest rental demand and therefore tend to deliver the best gross yields. Jomtien offers a very balanced ratio of moderate entry price and solid demand – one of the reasons why many of my buyers invest there. How the districts differ is shown in the district comparison of Wongamat, Pratumnak, Jomtien, Central and Na Jomtien.

Unit size

Compact units (studio, one bedroom) usually achieve the higher rental yield per euro invested, because the rent per square metre is higher for small apartments and demand is strong. Large two- to three-bedroom apartments often return slightly lower in percentage terms, but score with stable long-term tenants and lasting value.

Furnishings and developer

High-quality furnishing, well-kept resort facilities and a well-known developer raise both the achievable rent and the lettability. That is precisely why I select exclusively vetted, established new-build projects for my buyers – that is my job and your advantage. It is well worth a look at the flagship Grand Solaire Noble or the project overview under Projects.

Frequently asked questions about rental yield in Pattaya

What is a good rental yield in Pattaya?

For a well-chosen new-build condo, around 5 to 8% p.a. gross counts as a realistic and attractive range. Net, i.e. after running costs, what remains is usually around 4 to 6%. Figures well above that should be examined critically. All figures are guide values and not investment advice.

What is the difference between gross and net rental yield?

The gross rental yield relates only the annual rent to the purchase price and serves as a quick comparison value. The net rental yield first deducts the running costs – maintenance charge, management, upkeep, vacancy and tax – and thus shows the actual return.

Which figures do I need for the calculation?

Only three: the purchase price, the realistic monthly net rent and – from that – the annual net rent. For the net yield, the running cost items are added. I am happy to put together all three figures realistically for a specific apartment.

Does the off-plan price advantage count towards rental yield?

No. The price advantage in an early construction phase – sometimes up to 40% cheaper than at completion – is capital appreciation and a separate figure. The ongoing market price increase of around 3 to 5% p.a. is in turn separate from that. You should never mix rental yield, the off-plan price advantage and market price growth with one another.

Does vacancy strongly affect the calculation?

Noticeably. A single empty month lowers the annual rent by around 8%. That is why a vacancy buffer of one to two months belongs in every serious calculation. A good location, a fair rent and active management keep vacancy low.

Would you like to work through your personal rental yield for a specific apartment – gross and net, with real figures from current projects? Write to me without obligation via the contact form. I will get back to you personally, go through your assumptions with you and show you units that are convincing both on the numbers and in terms of the developer. For the complete overview of buying in Pattaya, I also recommend our free free guide for German-speaking buyers. Please note: this article is not investment or tax advice; all prices and rents are guide values, and portal listings are offers, not achieved transactions.